Just saw breaking news that an Alaska flight from LAX to SEA made an emergency landing after the Captain became unconscious. Plane diverted to PDX, and paramedics took the Captain to the hospital. Sending my prayers to the Captain.

Flight landed on 10R and shut down on taxiway T in front of C11. I was working on an aircraft at C9 when it happened and couldn't help but sit and watch. AS ground crew docked air stairs and medics removed the captain from the aircraft, which was then afterward towed into C7.

Thanks for posting this, I never got to find out from anyone at AS what had happened.

As of the 5am news here in Portland, there is no report on the pilots condition, prayers, good energy, and best wishes going his way now! The CBS local affiliate here KOIN, has said some passengers opted to wait until AS found a new pilot to take the bird onto SEA, however several opted to get on the QX shuttle flights to get home. Glad they landed safely, the FO apparently did an awesome job of handling the situation, and according to AS, he followed all the correct procedures and guidelines set forth for co=pilots in this kind of situation, great job! Another good ending to a unfortunate situation.

Not to detract from the first officer's actions-but how difficult is it for a single pilot to land a modern jet when there is no mechanical problem. (And don't tell me that I couldn't do it because I know I couldn't!) .

Quoting ultrapig (Reply 6):Not to detract from the first officer's actions-but how difficult is it for a single pilot to land a modern jet when there is no mechanical problem.

Flying the airplane isn't the hard part. Flying the airplane and dealing with a high stress situation you're now the only one left is. There is a lot more involved with this than actually manipulating the controls.

Quoting ultrapig (Reply 6):Not to detract from the first officer's actions-but how difficult is it for a single pilot to land a modern jet when there is no mechanical problem.

I have a couple of cockpit videos that really do a good job showing what the pilots really do and how much work it really is. After watching the 747-400 and L1011 videos I have I really got an appreciation for airline pilot's job.

Quoting futureualpilot (Reply 8):Flying the airplane isn't the hard part. Flying the airplane and dealing with a high stress situation you're now the only one left is.

Without sending the cabin into panic Outside of Hollywood I suppose you couldn't query the pax to gauge if there is a pilot onboard who could assist in the right seat.

I've often thought it would be a good idea as standard practice if FAA required all pilots who may be aboard as a pax to make their presence known to the flight deck in the event of such an emergency. Someone flying in uniform would be more obvious.

Odd that some people on here would say otherwise. Yes, you are right, the aircraft will fly by itself, as long as everything is working, and all the ducks are in a row. Seems like they were. But flying the aircraft is the easy part!

He also had to co-ordinate the diversion, probably through Med-Link, while dealing with ATC, Company Flight Dispatch, the rest of the crew and the passengers. All the while watching the aircraft to make sure it is doing what he intended. Then while still co-ordinating with all the above, he has to handle ATC communication and configure the aircraft for landing.

Not impossible, but likely something he has only done in the simulator.

During this whole time, he also has to temper the stress of doing this alone, as well as try to ignore the urgency of landing quickly as someone's health may be at risk.

I would have to agree with both futureualpilot and falstaff. Whilst the situation is something that is brought up with regularity during training, actually experiencing such a scenario in reality must be a really difficult incident to contend with. Every time I've done a pilot incapacitation in the simulator it has involved an occasionally amusing loss of conciousness and the procedure involved is solely on the immediate decision making process. i.e the incapacitation occurs at a critical moment of the flight, during the takeoff roll before V1 or at Decision Altitude on the final approach.

I can imagine that having your work colleague who may be a good friend of yours, suddenly and possibly violently encounter a serious illness or immediate loss of conciousness to be a particularly harrowing experience emotionally and I would expect ones ability to function in a logical and systematic manner to be at the very least slightly degraded. A modern airliner can be flown competently by a single pilot but add the trauma/shock of the situation and any other unforseen difficulty (restriction of flight controls due to the movements of the ill crew member) and you could have a particularly challenging working environment. An emergency diversion is a period of extremely high workload anyway and so when you at minimum double that workload as a result of an incapacitation you have a potentially very difficult situation to contend with.

Whilst it appears that in this instance that the situation wasn't particularly grave as the Captain regained conciousness, he was still unable to contribute as a crewmember and a reasonable amount of the rest of the crews attention would have been taken up by tending to the Captain. The First Officer did his job yes, and we shouldn't expect any less. But he should still be commended if his actions were textbook and he handled the situation in an exemplary manner which the airline have suggested is the case.

I wonder how many flights a day in the US have an airline pilot flying as a passenger? It seems that more often than not, on a domestic flight, I see at least one pilot in uniform sitting in the cabin. Of course my home airport is DTW so I probably see a lot of pilots who are going home or commuting to/from DTW.

Quoting GentFromAlaska (Reply 12):I've often thought it would be a good idea as standard practice if FAA required all pilots who may be aboard as a pax to make their presence known to the flight deck in the event of such an emergency.

I think, and someone correct me if I'm wrong, that pax who hold a transport rating are usually identified on the pax list that the FA's get. I know it's true when the person in question is flying non-revenue.

Quoting EGGD (Reply 14):I can imagine that having your work colleague who may be a good friend of yours, suddenly and possibly violently encounter a serious illness or immediate loss of conciousness to be a particularly harrowing experience emotionally

I actually had this happen a few weeks ago. I had to call 911, answer the operator's questions, try to get some info (e.g., the co-worker's birth date, which I had no idea of), and then direct the paramedics to the correct entrance in the large building complex that we work in. My nerves were rattled for hours afterward. (P.S., the co-worker has fully recovered.)

Prayers to that captain, and I hope he recovers and is able to continue flying. That would be a hell of a way to end your career.

Quoting GentFromAlaska (Reply 12):Without sending the cabin into panic Outside of Hollywood I suppose you couldn't query the pax to gauge if there is a pilot onboard who could assist in the right seat.

If we felt it necessary to meet the needs of the emergency we would find a way to ask, but most airline pilots I know, myself included, would rather handle the situation and leave the people in back out of it, fellow airline, corporate or perhaps military pilots not withstanding. Not out of ego or machoism but out of practicality. We are trained for situations like this and generally the procedures we have make the situation while tense, and stressful, doable by the lone remaining pilot. I realize this sounds like a contradiction to what I said earlier, but someone on board without airline or even professional flying experience will be of little help simply because said person likely doesn't know how to or what to do. The time it would take to explain something or help them do something could be better spent doing it yourself and with less stress.

Please understand I don't say anything above to be condescending. I realize it might be construed as such but realize that I spent a few thousand hours flying all manner of general aviation and have since spent a few thousand hours flying airline operations. In my own humble opinion formed from experience and learning from others, the two worlds are too different for someone without professional flying experience to be of enough help to bring them up front.

Quoting GentFromAlaska (Reply 12):I've often thought it would be a good idea as standard practice if FAA required all pilots who may be aboard as a pax to make their presence known to the flight deck in the event of such an emergency. Someone flying in uniform would be more obvious.

I can see some argument for this but we don't need every passenger with a certificate stopping up front while we're getting ready to go. If the situation calls for it, we'll find a way to ask.

Quoting EGGD (Reply 14): i.e the incapacitation occurs at a critical moment of the flight, during the takeoff roll before V1 or at Decision Altitude on the final approach.

Two incapacitations we do often are .... one pilot becomes incapacitated during a rapid depressurization, (not so far fetched) then the other pilot must do both sides of the emergency decent himself ... or (always on the F/O) the Captain does not respond to the 100 knot call, the F/O does a rejected take-off, to an engine fire, to an emergency evacuation!

When I was an F/O, I hated that exercise ... and ALWAYS left the Captain to burn with the ship.

Quoting cornutt (Reply 16):I think, and someone correct me if I'm wrong, that pax who hold a transport rating are usually identified on the pax list that the FA's get.

Not that I am aware of. Non-revs are identified, but if the pilot is a full revenue passenger, we would not know.

Quoting futureualpilot (Reply 17):If we felt it necessary to meet the needs of the emergency we would find a way to ask, but most airline pilots I know, myself included, would rather handle the situation and leave the people in back out of it, fellow airline, corporate or perhaps military pilots not withstanding.

Funny, you should say that, but many years ago, while traveling on UAL, there was a gear malfunction. I asked one of the F/A's to send my business card up, and asked if I could be any assistance.

I didn't get an answer ... fair ball, they ARE busy. No worries.

A month later, I got a very nice letter from UAL Flight Ops thanking me for my offer, a nice touch.

I imagine this pilots medical cert will be under review before he returns to flying. They'll have to figure out why he passed out and if the same circumstances could happen again before he is released to fly.

I don't think the pilot flying after an incident like this has to mention to the passengers what happened, couldn't he just say that they are having a technical difficulty causing them to divert to PDX?

Quoting type-rated (Reply 21):I don't think the pilot flying after an incident like this has to mention to the passengers what happened, couldn't he just say that they are having a technical difficulty causing them to divert to PDX?

Apparently, according to this article, he passed out in front of passengers so they were well aware of the situation.

Quoting futureualpilot (Reply 17):If we felt it necessary to meet the needs of the emergency we would find a way to ask, but most airline pilots I know, myself included, would rather handle the situation and leave the people in back out of it, fellow airline, corporate or perhaps military pilots not withstanding. Not out of ego or machoism but out of practicality. We are trained for situations like this and generally the procedures we have make the situation while tense, and stressful, doable by the lone remaining pilot. I realize this sounds like a contradiction to what I said earlier, but someone on board without airline or even professional flying experience will be of little help simply because said person likely doesn't know how to or what to do. The time it would take to explain something or help them do something could be better spent doing it yourself and with less stress.

The training material that I've seen for an Incapacitated Pilot says to consider using anyone in the back who may be qualified (e.g. a deadheading pilot who you are familiar with). Like many things, it's up to the other pilot's discretion whether to do so.

An AS pilot once told me that they sometimes train for this during recurring training. They hand one pilot a note in the simulator telling him to act like he's passing out. Then the other guy needs to recognize it and take control of the airplane. All modern airplanes are capable of being landed by one pilot. Some airlines train flight attendants how to read the checklists up front. Not sure if AS does this.

Quoting longhauler (Reply 18):Two incapacitations we do often are .... one pilot becomes incapacitated during a rapid depressurization, (not so far fetched) then the other pilot must do both sides of the emergency decent himself ... or (always on the F/O) the Captain does not respond to the 100 knot call, the F/O does a rejected take-off, to an engine fire, to an emergency evacuation!

I like the idea of the depressurization incapacitation, if there was every a situation where you'd get one I suppose that would be it. I'm surprised by the inclusion of a (highly improbable) engine fire after the Captain has fallen over on the takeoff roll, but I like the idea that these sort of scenarios are getting thrown into the simulator to give us some more 'lateral' thinking.

Quoting cornutt (Reply 16):I actually had this happen a few weeks ago. I had to call 911, answer the operator's questions, try to get some info (e.g., the co-worker's birth date, which I had no idea of), and then direct the paramedics to the correct entrance in the large building complex that we work in. My nerves were rattled for hours afterward. (P.S., the co-worker has fully recovered.)

Exactly my point, imagine everything you went through being amplified due to all the additional factors you'd find on an airliner. Very difficult day at the office.. I'm glad your colleague recovered, and I hope for a similar outcome for the Captain involved.

[Edited 2013-02-01 11:52:25]

25 EGGD
: Pilot incapacitation training is a regulatory requirement here under JAA/EASA and most likely under the FAA as well, the frequency of the training I'

26 GentFromAlaska
: Concur. Bravo Zulu is in order for the F/O or I suppose Captain for those intense moments. After flying into JNU (Juneau) no less than fifty times ac

27 Geezer
: Assuming that it happened behind a closed, locked door, I'm sure the F/O wouldn't mention it; as BoeEngr points out though, (and also the article I j

28 HiFlyerAS
: Not true...although we do know where company employees are seated. If we knew for a fact that one of them was an AS pilot I'm sure he/she'd volunteer

29 rcair1
: Particularly if that person is a friend or colleague. I can guarantee that raises the stress level. In the fire department I'm in - we are in a small

30 canoecarrier
: Probably with his coworkers he got a certain degree of respect boost, but either way he did his job and is and was before this event perfectly capabl

31 EGGD
: I'm not sure of the procedure in the USA, but this is not the case in my airline. We contact Medlink by HF radio, we do this through the headset and

32 planemaker
: Not an issue. When a "regulatory body" certifies SP ops at some point in the future, there will be at least two or more options available to land the

33 canoecarrier
: After going back and looking at the initial press release my airline put out, I'm almost positive the contact between MedLink and the aircraft is don

34 golfradio
: If he is a eleven year veteran with AS, as is reported, he could have been a captain on a different type. He is in no way a low timer so not surprisin

35 johnbecker
: Condescending? Of course not. Hell I'm a retired 737 pilot and would be more in the way than an assist at this point. You don't need to be training a

36 BoeingGuy
: How about to competently assist with something more than getting some coffee, like, to read the QRH checklists or work the radios. Remember the AA 76

37 Alasizon
: As I recall, and I may be wrong, but all AS pilots are in the same class since they only fly the 737 series and I believe most if not all pilots are

38 EGGD
: I am sure that is entirely possible. Unless the process of contacting medlink is different, I would assume that one of the flight crew would have mad

39 canoecarrier
: I wonder what AS's protocol is when this happens. If one pilot goes to the lav most US airlines have a FA come into the cockpit. It's possible that t

40 Aaron747
: You betcha. There are various reasons a person might experience unconsciousness; unfortunately some of them are harbingers of serious cardiovascular

41 EGGD
: Quite possible, we do not have the same operating procedure unless the door entry system is inoperative. Our procedures are quite open to pilot inter

42 futureualpilot
: We certainly appreciate offers, particularly in the manner you went about it. It is possible. There are a number of FAs who have undergone some fligh

43 johnbecker
: They're not all "female" either as you've articulated in the waitresses statement, while obviously trying to defend the female's role in flight ops f

44 HiFlyerAS
: Enough with the condescending remarks about Flight Attendants. Especially from retired pilots who should know better.

45 DTWPurserBoy
: Flight attendants are trained how to remove an incapacitated pilot from the cockpit as a routine part of our training. If necessary, one of us could o

46 Viscount724
: When the first officier on an AC 763 en route from YYZ to LHR in January 2008 had some type of mental breakdown and had to be removed from the cockpi

47 cornutt
: Oh not at all, they were fine. When they arrived, I knew they were going to be busy. I let them know that I was the one who called, and showed them t

48 olddominion727
: Forgive me for asking this obvious scenario to some, but I am not a pilot. Shouldn't the co-pilot have the identical abilities to fly that aircraft? I

49 F9animal
: News is saying that the captain had a stomach bug or food poisoning. Which brings up a question. If this is true... Is it not considered a medical con

50 captainstefan
: A good bit of advice I give myself (student pilot) when flying solo: The first few times, it can be a little scary - but I always tell myself that if

51 futureualpilot
: Yes, First Officers these days must hold an ATP and receive the same training Captains go through. Each must pass the same check ride, each now earns

52 Alasizon
: I have ran into many crews where this is the case, particularly at the regional level.

53 longhauler
: While it sounds like cruel torture, the intent is to show each crew member what the other is required to do. It was always done on "practise day" and

54 bwphoto
: When i asked whether an FA would be asked to come up front, it had more to do with having jjust one person behind a locked cockpit door - what if some

55 rcair1
: Yes - we carry master "keys". They are about 6 ft long and most call them bolt cutters. We also have extrication gear (jaws of life) which can open m

56 PassedV1
: To answer some of the previous questions... Not very difficult at all. You just configure a little early, get setup so you have time to do the non-fly